TORONTO — The driver of a streetcar on which a teen was killed by police gunfire is admitting he was frightened in the moments before officers arrived to deal with reports of a young man with a knife.
Chad Seymour was the last person to speak with Sammy Yatim before the 18-year-old was killed in a confrontation with Const. James Forcillo in July 2013.
Forcillo has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and attempted murder in Yatim's death.
Seymour has said he had a calm conversation with Yatim after the teen pulled out a knife, causing panicked passengers to rush off the vehicle.
But under questioning from Forcillo's lawyer, Seymour agreed that he considered the situation on the streetcar unpredictable and dangerous.
The court has heard that Seymour asked Yatim what had happened and recalled that the teen said he thought people were trying to kill him.
Seymour said Yatim then asked him if he had a phone and said he wanted to call his father.
Forcillo's lawyer says Seymour had a phone in his pocket but pretended to look for one in order to buy himself time on the streetcar before police arrived — a statement the streetcar driver agreed to.
Court has heard that Yatim sat down in the streetcar until the arrival of police prompted him to jump up and swear, at which point Seymour fled the vehicle.
The jury has seen videos and heard audio that show Forcillo arriving at the scene with another officer and yelling repeatedly at Yatim to "drop the knife."
After a 50-second confrontation in which Yatim refuses to obey police commands, Forcillo fires nine bullets, causing the teen to fall to the floor of the streetcar.
Crown prosecutors have said they plan to prove that Forcillo's actions during the incident weren't necessary or reasonable. Forcillo's lawyer has said his client's actions were justified and carried out in self-defence.
The jury has also heard that Yatim consumed the drug ecstasy before he boarded the streetcar.
